1) We flew to Vietnam!

Eventually, we decided that the Mummy should take a trip back to her hometown to spend the last leg of her maternity leave. And for her extended family to see Baby YC for the first time.

"The clouds... can eat or not?"

Vietnam Airlines gave us an additional 10kg for Baby YC. Since he did not require seats, there was no additional cost to fly him. It was a packed flight and we were way back in queue. The airport staff was helpful to secure two adjacent seats for us. #ChangiAirport :)

As first-time young parent travellers, we were extremely conscious of inevitably causing disturbance to other passengers. Fortunately and unfortunately, en route to Hanoi, we were seated near a toddler that kept screaming at the top of his voice. Baby YC ended up being a much quieter boy, not even giving a frown when the plane took off and landed. The toddler's screams later made him cry. But for a first flight, we were so blessed with such a well-behaved boy!

We thought we were visiting her Grandparents as usual. When we reached her Grandparents' place, we were greeted by her extended family members and relatives who had all gathered for the occasion.

"Yoz Cousin, how ya' doing?"

I did not have the luxury of paid leave to be in Hanoi for a month, so I returned to Singapore and subsequently flew back to Hanoi to bring my wife and Baby YC home. I thought I would have had two weeks of peaceful sleep in the nights, but I was wrong. Ended up missing them in the night :(

On my return trip to Hanoi, Baby YC burst out crying in a way that we had never witnessed, when he saw me. He wailed even louder when I tried to carry him. That was a heart wrenching moment. It is as if he was angry that his father left him for weeks. Gradually, he "forgived" me and the first smile thereafter was reassuring.

3) Baby YC goes on Hunger Strike

Baby YC went into photosynthesis mode for a month or two. Smart of him to know his way of demanding to be fed latched on. Practically did not drink any milk in bottle for the longest of times. We felt puzzled when doctors after doctors were in disbelief of our paranoia. His weight grew with each visit to the clinic, and was at the 90+th percentile as compared to infants of the same age.

Where did all the weight gain come from?

"Like a Boss"

Visit to the clinic

4) One day, he started crawling (in a way)

He turned to his side and tada~ crawl mode. He started pivoting himself and crawling... backwards.

What cha' looking at?

Sitting (albeit unstably) skill unlocked

After 6 months dominating our bed, he now sleeps on his own.

Never too tired to be on his belly ever since

And then this happened

Baby YC growing fast!

5) We go Walk Walk

Inconvenient to go outdoors with Baby YC, but it would otherwise be draining to walk the baby round and round at home.

National Gallery has some fantastic kids activity corners

Enjoying the view munching his fist

Those legs....

6) The Weekend when both of us were away

Clash of schedules resulted in both my wife and I overseas for the weekend.

"I still have my bolster!"

7) Baby YC's Parents became Masseurs

Thanks to Angeline who, as part of her infant massage course requirement, needed to teach a group of parents how to massage their babies, both me and my wife became masseurs for Baby YC.

Baby Networking session in progress

"Mum, what are you waiting for?"

8) Baby Spa

9) #nobodysleepsifidontsleep

"Who's that sleeping beauty?"

"Hehe. Papa I know you are still there."

And when he finally sleeps, we go all out to ensure the sleep is as long as it can get.

Self-invented "Butt locker" to lock the butt in optimal sleeping position

Only parents will know

10) Are we teaching him enough?

We attended some Preschool Seminar and talks to get ourselves prepared for the 6-month milestone. The guilt is strong if we know we could have taught him more but we did not. Right brain training classes looked too stressful and unreal. Music classes seem fun. We are opting for FUN.

Infantcare is of great help for working parents like us, though it also meant less time for interacting with Baby YC during weekdays. Weekends become extremely precious.

It seems like just yesterday that he was born. It was not too long ago that he discovered he had hands, and then he started grabbing everything and shoving it to his mouth. 6 months ago, he smiled, now he giggles and infects us with laughters. As he amazes us day by day with his growth, we continue to draw inspiration from our Baby YC.

Saturday, October 29, 2016

If you are into movies, you probably find the title of this blog familiar.

It was a question posed to Bruce Wayne (Batman) in Batman Begins (2005) - "What do you fear?"

Although I had watched the movie for umpteenth times, a recent overseas trip gave me an opportunity to re-watch Batman Begins again. The movie still beats all the shows in the 30-odd channels that was screening that night.

Come to think of it, phobias are often formed out of a negative episode that one encountered in the past. For instance, getting grazed by a twig shot out from a grasscutter's cutting machine might keep you a distance away from a grasscutter in the future.

"To conquer fear, you must become fear. You must bask in the fear of other men. And men fear most what they cannot see. You have to become a terrible thought. A wraith. You have to become an idea! Feel terror cloud your senses. Feel its power to distort.. to control. And know that this power can be yours. Embrace your worst fears. Become one with the darkness."

That is, of course, unless you have a spacious underground space under your dwelling, and a family business producing military weapons for your private consumption ;D

Friday, July 29, 2016

From 1 August 2016, while you start your daily routine, history would be made.

For the first time in Singapore's history, a senior Trade Unionist will start work in the Employers Federation. The Vice President of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and General Secretary of the Singapore Teachers' Union, Mr Edwin Lye Teck Hee, would leave the labour movement and join the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF).

The average Singaporean would probably see it as an ordinary switch in career. Casting your sight beyond Singapore, you would realise that it didn't make much headlines only because this is Singapore, where the Government, Employers and Unions enjoy a constructive relationship. This trust and collaborative relationship is otherwise called "Tripartism", and often cited as Singapore's National Treasure.

Indeed, if hashtags were a measure, Tripartism is so rare globally that in Instagram, you find mostly photos from Singapore with #Tripartism.

It has been 10 months since I got seconded to the Singapore Teachers' Union. Learnt a lot from Edwin on proactive Industrial Relations and Union operations. Edwin has always been an open and patient Union Leader who takes the effort to explain the historical context and thinking behind any actions taken, and does so with great clarity.

Thursday, July 28, 2016

The month-long Hari Raya celebration is coming to a close. I always find it a blessing to be in Singapore where we not only get to celebrate our own ethnic festivals, but we also observe or, most of the time, participate in other ethnic celebrations. And as we get to know more about the traditions and cultures of another ethnic group, each year's festive celebrations carry a different experience.

Beyond the extensive *bling bling* Hari Raya light-up decorations lining the street from Eunos MRT Station all the way to Geylang Serai, it is the practice of traditions and cultural interactions that define the festival and which are what makes Hari Raya unique in Singapore.

Globally, a series of attacks threatened to undermine the sacred month for Muslims. These include the Orlando nightclub shooting, Nice attack, Atatürk Airport attack in Turkey and the suicide attacks in Saudi Arabia at the end of Ramadhan. In some parts of the world, the religion came under assault in the wake of the attacks.

In Singapore, this year's Hari Raya happened to fall in July, the month of Racial Harmony celebrations. In form and/or in substance, Singaporeans are reminded by the world around us that the social fabric could very well be ruptured if we do not continue to safeguard racial and religous harmony.

I am fortunate to be able to participate in a series of activities during this period.

On 22 June 2016, Eunos and Kaki Bukit Grassroots Advisers and Grassroots Leaders joined Mr Amrin Amin, Parliamentary Secretary for Home Affairs and residents of The Leo Dormitory in breaking fast (Iftar). It was my second time visiting the Dormitory, the first being an introductory visit before the Dormitory went into operation in 2014.

Ambassadors, appointed among the residents, assist in organising various activities for the residents of diverse nationalities. The month-long Iftar (break fast) is one such activity that the residents plan and execute themselves, with support from the Dorm's management.

In keeping with tradition, when communication technology was not as advanced, drum was sounded to inform the neighbourhood that it was time to break fast.

Group photo with fellow Grassroots Leaders

On 25 June 2016, a brigade of motorcycles roared off to make over beneficiaries' homes, as part of the annual Ramadhan-on-Wheels (ROW) project by the Malay Youth Literary Association (4PM).

The same morning, Tabung Amal Aidilfitri (TAA) Trust Fund held its disbursement exercise at Eunos Community Club. Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli graced the event and presented cheques to Malay Muslim Organisations and beneficiaries. One of the ways that TAA Trust Fund collects its zakat (alms) is through the collection boxes located at Geylang Serai as well as shops across the island. The zakat collected in 2015 is disbursed to recipients in 2016.

These programmes encapsulate the spirit of Ramadhan, in assisting the less well-off among the community and sharing the festive joy with them.

On the same evening, Eunos CC Malay Activity Executive Committee (MAEC) and TAA Trust Fund jointly held the Majlis Iftar. The speaker was delivering a message in Bahasa Melayu when I heard "Hidayah". Turned over to Eunos CC staff Hidayah who was just beside me, and innocently told her that the speaker had called her name. Found out that in arabic language, Hidayah actually meant "Guidance".

To learn culture, it's always best to plug yourself in the midst of it. Also learnt about the significance of Ramadhan to Muslims that evening. Ramadhan is more than just a month-long of cleansing the physical body through fasting. It also involves the cleansing of the mind and soul, and a time of reflection.

Fast forward to the eve of Hari Raya on 5 July 2016, where residents at Eunos Vista (Zone '7' precinct) organised the annual Kenduri together with neighbours.

Jalan Raya to a neighbour's place on 9 July 2016. I met Shaikh through grassroots activities. He is one of the Eunos Heights Community Gardeners, and I always joked that he had the best view of the happenings in the garden from his bedroom window. Had the pleasure to makan the awesome dishes plus the desserts, all made by the family. Enjoyed the catch-up and got to know more about the talented and hardworking family.

Yummy!

A week later, had the opportunity to taste Malay cuisine again at fellow grassroots volunteers Jamal and Latifah's place. The Malay wedding at the void deck right opposite their block provided music and songs for our ears.

The key ingredient to racial harmony and social cohesion is the social capital and trust that exist across the ethnic communities. The People's Association grassroots movement consciously create platforms to bring people together. It is a never-ending process and we will always agree more can be done. One day, race and religion will see no boundary. Till then, let's take the initiative to appreciate each other's culture and be the catalyst to strengthen our unique social fabric.

Thursday, July 21, 2016

What better way to celebrate your son's 3rd month than bringing him to ICA and collecting our passports (mine renewed; his new) together?

Taking Baby YC's passport photo was vastly challenging, and it is not just because I no longer have white walls (passport photos require a white background) at home. He had became a sinister to our phones. When the phone was on our hands, it meant reduced time on him, and he was definite that this is a zero-sum game.

Fortunately, we found a cupboard which was white. My wife held him to his upright sitting position, leaning on the cupboard, and used her hands to support his pendulating body.

Lesson #1: Never use a lagging Samsung phone with limited storage space when your wife has an iPhone. But which I did. With each lag after each shot taken, it was frustrating. Lucky for me, out of the spam shots, there was a few to choose from.

Baby YC looked very stunned on one, and had a smirk on the other. We chose the latter. And that printed photo on the passport never failed to make my family laugh each time we look at it. The ICA Officer was also smiling when she checked out Baby YC's face with the passport photo.

In days leading to the 3rd month milestone, my wife had to return to work from her maternity leave for 3 weeks due to a major work event. My mother and I took turns to take leave to be home to tend to the little one. That is what Paternity Leave is for.

Taking the same bus to work together after a long long time

Spending an entire day with the little one exhausts me to the last bit of my battery. It also gave me a chance to experience for myself how my wife had to manage caring for our son single-handedly when the confinement nanny left.

The typical day usually starts on an exceptionally high note. Baby YC wakes up gleefully, giving us his best smiles and laughters almost every morning. It is like he had received his full dose of charging and he is ready for the day.

Sunbathing. Showering. Feeding. Nap.

And the window opens for me to clear as much work as possible on my laptop. If I am lucky, I have 1.5 hours to settle some of the urgent matters. If not, I will be pacing around the entire home with Baby YC in my arms until he falls into sleep. If I succeed in transferring him to the bed, hurray. Most of the time, Walk. Sleep. Repeat. Because my arm beats a Dunlopillo.

In fact, I think my walkabout had probably worn off a nanometre of flooring. And my right biceps are probably thicker than the left.

Give me my drumsticks! Nom nom nom...

If only milk bottles came in the form of a baby's fist. At first, Baby YC struggled to place his fist on his mouth. The fist would fly up, go one big round, and might miss the mouth. After a while, he mastered the skill. And there goes snacking on his favourite "drumsticks" (as my Mother coins them). The cutest thing is he also likes to share and feed his Father with these "drumsticks" when I'm near.

One day, few days after Baby YC turned 2 months of age, he started to pay attention and connect eyes-to-eyes with us. It is an amazing thing. He would look deep into us and send love straight into our souls.

The afternoon programme features Mozart music, storyreading, and talking. Baby YC has started to experiment his vocals, though I have given up after repeating "Papa" to him for the umpteenth time. He makes the sound that resembled "Uncle" (more like Angkor) and "Al Gore" (does he even know this is Election Year 2016?). He enjoys being talked to and reciprocates with blabbers (speeches). Children's books are getting more sophisticated. Some left me deep in reflection after reading them out to Baby YC.

In this month, several unbearable news of bad things happening to other 3-month-old and 2-year-old bothered me, and I believe many parents. Shan't share the negativity. Thankfully, such news were balanced by postings shared in the U Circle of Dads Facebook group and other pages that were useful to pass time and for me to gather some inspiration and energy to sustain the day.

Baby YC dreads being ignored. Attempts to leave him in the bouncer so that I can read some emails failed when he realised someone is around but not talking to him. When I flashed out my phone for a quick check, he would be casting his pitiful eyes on the device.

He dreads being placed on the mattress, but is surprisingly reasonable and accommodating if I were to rest beside him. He would keep kicking me, while staying peaceful, while I doze off for a while.

The maternal grandfather finally met Baby YC alongside his official visit to Singapore with his delegation. My sister-in-law had also just delivered to a second son. Excited to bring Baby YC to Vietnam to meet his cousins.

Although I often tell friends and colleagues, even my wife, that I so look forward to returning to work, some part of me want to be part of my son's growing up, every day and every moment. I was reminded, when I was lamenting the tireness to someone, that my son will be growing up very fast and this will be a phase of his growth that I will come to miss in due time.

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

One of them is the third instalment of the movie - The Purge: Election Year, which was released on 1 July 2016.

5 minutes into the scene, this logo came out on the screen. I thought it looked very familiar.

The second highly anticipated event was 2016 Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump's announcement of his Vice Presidential running mate. The official announcement also revealed the Trump-Pence campaign logo, which soon was dropped from Donald Trump's Facebook and website due to various reasons, including obscenity.

Wikipedia describes Pokémon GO as "a free-to-play location-based augmented reality mobile game developed by Niantic and published by The Pokémon Company as part of the Pokémon franchise."

Augmented reality is a fusion of virtual reality and real life. Merging "location-based" with "augmented reality", the world has truly become a borderless playground. Next, with devices like Samsung Gear VR and Google Glass, very soon you will be in your dream world.

I am hoping that Niantic or any other game companies would be inspired by the successes of Pokémon GO to introduce greater disruption to the gaming industry. And if so, they should really be making the following 7 games the way of Pokémon GO!

1) Second Life GO

This is the closest you can get to experience what's it like to be in movies such as Avatar and Surrogate. Besides, a Second Life GO will also help many singles find their life partners and for virtual shop merchants to interact physically with their customers. Oh hey! Perhaps Second Life GO will really give you a chance to live your life as a sociable human being!

2)Counterstrike GO

Laser tags and paint balls will be clichés with this game. It could probably encourage the use of more virtual guns then real ones, and at the same time get you running around and prepare you for terrorist attacks.

3) Resident Evil GO

Get your chance to be amidst the Walking Dead. Resident Evil GO version will bring gamers out of Raccoon City and into the neighbourhood. Makes good for Halloween celebration too!

4) Warcraft GO

Some games require deploying your troops/orcs to mine for resources. If we can use the influence of gaming to augment thrash and litter into ores, wouldn't we have clean beaches and streets?

5) Final Fantasy GO

Seeking enemies to fight to gain experience to level up your character? Explore and who knows you might find a chuckaboo, beyond potions and power gems.

6) Super Mario

With this game, you will have plenty reasons to jump and squat, and shed those weight. We'd never know, maybe we'll find people in the sewers collecting their "coins".

That said, some games should never be made into location-based augmented reality ones, i.e. no-GO:

X) Grand Theft Auto

Quite self-explanatory

X) World of Warcraft

Beating the hell out of augmented creeps in the street can be scary. Think "The Purge".